Base Concrete

Hemel Hempstead 01442 389105 St Albans 01727 881979 Watford 01923 571221 Luton 01582 825545 Aylesbury 01296 906112
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Types of Concrete

Types of Concrete and Uses

Types of Concrete

In this day and age, buildings and roads are as common as birds and concrete is a major component of these buildings and structures. Before we jump into the different types of concrete and their uses, it would be advisable to first look into what concrete exactly is. Concrete in itself is a composite material and a typical concrete mix would contain three main components.

  1. A binding material.
  2. Fine Aggregates
  3. Coarse Aggregates

These are generally mixed in proportions depending on the requirement. Due to the many purposes that concrete can be used for construction, it’s not surprising that there are various types of concrete mix available.

Concrete Types And Uses

  1. Plain Concrete

The most common type of concrete, it typically has no reinforcement. It is formed with a 1:2:4 mixture of the components mentioned above. Plain concrete is generally used for constructing footpaths and pavements and even concrete floors.

  1. Reinforced Concrete

As the name suggests, this type of concrete comes with reinforcement in the shape of rods and meshes made of steel. Reinforced Cement Concrete is used where strength is of prime importance. it is used in the building of columns and bridges where the structure needs to bear high tensile stresses along with good compression.

building construction worker pouring cement or concrete with pump tube

  1. High-Performance Concrete

This type of concrete is made to adhere to certain specific standards without compromising on strength. Quick strength gain, high durability, and high permeability are a few of these standards. It also typically addresses existing environmental concerns. High-performance concrete can be used to replace other types and build roads, pavements, etc.

  1. Ready-mix concrete

One of the most popular types of concrete – ready mix concrete, This concrete is mixed and bathed at the main plant and then brought to the site when needed. It can be used without any further treatment. Since it is not made on-site, higher quality standards can be met with amazing precision. Ready-mix concrete is used when mixing concrete is not possible at the construction site. It has a higher life span compared to other types and is thus used for high-rise buildings and bridges.

  1. Rapid Strength Concrete

This type of concrete acquires strength very quickly and is also sometimes known as rapid hardening concrete. It tends to be used where time is an important factor. Some common uses of rapid-strength concrete are roads (where traffic could be held up during construction) and even in underwater structures where time could result in the failure of the project.

  1. Precast Concrete

Similar to ready-mix concrete, a major part of the production happens in the plant. In this case, it is made and formed in the plant as per requirement and brought to the site only during the assembly stage. Some common uses of precast concrete are in the building of staircases, fence posts, and precast walls.

  1. Asphalt Concrete

Another common type is asphalt concrete. It is a composite material that contains a mix of asphalt and aggregates. This usually hardens in an hour or so. Due to the fast-setting nature of the mixture being used, asphalt concrete is mainly used in roads, airports and parking lots.

There are many different types of concrete and the above list covers only the main and most popularly used types. We hope that this will give you an overview of what it is and what are its main uses. For any enquiry, please get in touch with Base Concrete on 01442 389105 and our friendly team are always happy to help. Alternatively, send us a message via our online contact form.